Southold Town hires four new officers, promotes pair to sergeant
Four new officers are joining the Southold Town police force.
At a meeting Tuesday, the Town Board appointed Patrick Anderson, Fiona Faherty, Ryan Flatley - whose father is Police Chief Martin Flatley - and Kyle Krause as new probationary officers at a starting salary of $51,607.
They will each be placed on an immediate, unpaid leave of absence until the next scheduled police officer training begins at the Suffolk County Police Academy and, upon graduation, will become active probationary officers if they meet the requirements for employment, according to a resolution adopted unanimously by the board.
Pictured Above: At a June 1, 2020 vigil for George Floyd at Stotzky Park in Riverhead
The lack of officers of color and of communication between the police and communities they serve has been on the minds of residents who’ve spoken up at the latest law enforcement public listening sessions in Riverhead and on the North Fork, as East End town task forces prepare reports required by New York State.
These task forces are being convened all over the state under an executive order issued by Governor Andrew Cuomo last June, in the wake of the worldwide protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, requiring municipal law enforcement agencies to review policing practices “to promote community engagement, to foster trust, fairness, and legitimacy, and to address any racial bias and disproportionate policing of communities of color.”
Riverhead Town facing police shortage following retirements, delay bringing in new recruits Riverhead police on the scene of a school threat last year. (Credit: Tara Smith)
When the Riverhead Town Board hired 10 new police officers last Tuesday, it was responding to one of the highest number of retirements in recent memory, according to Police Chief David Hegermiller.
The chief added that he expects at least one more retirement soon.
But the new hires won’t immediately fill the void left by departing retirees because only four of them can start work right away.
Those four include three part-time officers and one officer currently with the New York City Police Department.
From left, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, Southold Town police officer Garrett Lake and police chief Martin Flatley during the 2016 awards ceremony.
A former Southold Town probationary police officer’s suit against the town over his firing in May 2016 has won a victory in the Appellate Division of State Supreme Court, which has ordered the town to turn over videos sought by the former officer’s attorney.
Garrett Lake had argued in court papers that he was fired in bad faith due to political pressure. His and his attorney’s efforts to move the suit forward have previously stumbled in State Supreme Court with judges’ decisions denying an Article 78 proceeding aimed at returning Mr. Lake to the job.